About This Project

Pitcher’s thistle is a rare native plant that is found only one place in the world; the sand dunes of the Great Lakes. The invasion of a seed-eating weevil further threatens the plant's extinction. We will conduct a mark-recapture study to learn more about weevil dispersal and test the use of sticky, 3-D printed decoy flowers as a management strategy. This study has important implications for Pitcher's thistle conservation and invasive insect management.